Fast Facts
Designing Our Tomorrow is a bilingual Spanish/English traveling exhibit that will engage visitors in biomimicry, an approach to engineering that draws inspiration from nature's ingenuity to design solutions for the challenges we face in our own communities and around the world.
$60K / 3 months + inbound shipping
> Engineering design challenges
> Biomimicry findamentals
> Bilingual English/Spanish
> Intergenerational engagement
> Programming resources for educators
Designing Our Tomorrow engages visitors in biomimicry, challenging them to design solutions to issues we currently face using nature as model, mentor, and measure. They will experience the diversity and wonder of nature, be introduced to the fundamentals of biomimicry, and look to the natural world for inspiration.
The exhibition guides visitors through a process of exploration, inspiration, and innovation with hands-on experiences in five categories:
1. Introducing biomimicry
2. Nature's ingenuity
3. Biomimicry in action
4. Engineering design challenges
5. Biomimicry in your community
OMSI is collaborating with the Biomimicry Institute, Adelante Mujeres, and the Fleet Science Center. A Youth Advisory Board comprised primarily of Latina girls aged 9–14 will include target audience perspectives in the exhibit development process.
Contact OMSI's Traveling Exhibits Services at travelingexhibits@omsi.edu or 503-797-4628
Virtual Tour
Biomimicry Pavillion
Videos, copy, and maps introduce biomimicry and show how biomimics use nature's strategies to enhance our lives. Hands-on interactives demonstrate the biomimicry process and give examples of Nature's Values.
Kinetic Kites
Drawing inspiration from maple seeds, dandilion fluff, and bird wings visitors design a kenetic kite that creates lift and/or spin to generate electricity. Feedback on spin speed and lift give learners the opportunity to iterate and improve their design.
Illumination in Nature
Visitors explore a variety of naturally reflective materials and explore how microstructures influence light and create iridescence.
Prairie Dogs
Visitors experiment with the openings to a prairie dog tunnel and the amount of wind outside to maximize air flow. A transparent cabinet allows learners to see inside the tunnel where hanging ribbons show the air flowing. The amount of air flow is communicated through feedback from an anemometer.
Vertical Farming
Visitors design a community garden with strategies from nature. They can improveand iterate their garden designs to be able to produce more food for their friends and family.
Nature's Tools
Provided with a variety of beak shapes, food sources, and habitat layouts learners decide which bek is best for which purpose.
Storing Energy
Visitors adjust the tension and angle of a series of trampolies to move a ball closer toward a target. Videos show natural examples that use the same strategy to get around.
Helmet Drop
Learners explore nature inspired methods of cushioning a fall through a bike helmet test-bed. They insert cusioning modelled after hedgehog quills, cat paw pads, and pomelo rinds to protect riders from injury.
Design Studio
A place for learners to use what they've gathered so far, ask questions & get answers, design their own solution, then post their creation on the nearby Community Tree.
Availability
- Summer 2022
OMSI | Portland, OR
- Fall 2022
OMSI | Portland, OR
- Spring 2023
Fleet Science Center | San Diego, CA
- Summer 2023
Fleet Science Center | San Diego, CA
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2024
- Summer 2024
- Fall 2024
School Resources
COMING 2022 - A collection of PDFs and guides for museum staff and teachers to expand on the educational content of the exhibit, including in-classroom experiments and activities for your museum floor.
Museum Resources
A fact sheet to share with your team about Designing Our Tomorrow.
COMING 2021 - This sample floor plan gives you an idea of how Designing Our Tomorrow will look in your gallery space.
Media Resources
COMING 2022 - All the logos, images, and assets you need to properly market the exhibit, promote sponsors, and get guests excited about their visit!
Questions?
We're here to help you create experiences that will inspire audiences. Allow us to introduce ourselves!
Partners
The Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program seeks to advance new approaches to and evidence-based understanding of the design and development of STEM learning opportunities for the public in informal environments; provide multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences; advance innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments; and engage the public of all ages in learning STEM in informal environments.
The Biomimicry Institute empowers people to create nature-imspired solutions for a healthy planet.
The purpose of the Biomimicry Institute is to naturalize biomimicry in the culture by promoting the transfer of ideas, designs, and strategies from biology to sustainable human systems design.
Adelante Mujeres provides holistic education and empowerment opportunities to low income Latina women and their families to ensure full participation and active leadership in the community.
The Fleet Science Center connects people of all ages to the possibilities and power of science to create a better future. Our mission is to realize a San Diego where everyone is connected to the power of science.
